Chalk line holder



Sept. 21, 1965 R. c. FLETCHER CHALK LINE HOLDER Filed Nov. 9. 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. Z4 JQEXP 0RD L. FLE TUHER 45 BY @aq ATTYS.

Sept. 21, 1965 R. c. FLETCHER 3,206,855

CHALK LINE HOLDER Filed Nov. 9, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: 1222:? DRE 5'. FLE TDHER.

United States Patent 3,206,855 CHALK LINE HOLDER Rexford C. Fletcher, Manitou Beach, Mich. Filed Nov. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 409,843 8 Claims. (Cl. 33-87) This invention relates to a holder for a retractable line and more particularly to a chalk line holder carrying two reels of chalk line, which reels are capable of independent or dependent operation.

While holders for chalk line by which the line may be retracted are not broadly new, the holder according to the present invention has a number of advantages over those heretofore known. The new chalk holder carries at least two reels of chalk line which render the holder much more versatile. With two reels and two chalk lines, it is possible to use different colored chalk for each line so that if one color does not stand out well on a particular surface to be marked, the other line and color can be used. With two reels, it is also possible for a longer line to be provided, when desired, by extending the lines on both reels. In addition, chalk can be applied to one of the lines while the other is being used, thereby expediting the overall marking operation. Toward this purpose, each of the reels is provided with a body of solid chalk which is resiliently pressed against the line on the associated reel to chalk or coat the line when being wound or unwound.

The new chalk holder also provides a unique mechanical connection between the two reels which enables either of the reels to be wound or unwound independently of the other, enables both reels to be simultaneously wound or unwound, or enables one of the reels to be wound while the other is unwound. This arrangement increases the versatility of the chalk line holder and also greatly facilitates operation thereof.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a chalk line holder carrying two reels of chalk line, which reels are capable of dependent and independent operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel chalk line holder carrying two reels of chalk line, each of which is equipped with a body of chalk resiliently urged against the chalk line on the reel.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: 6

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a chalk line holder embodying the invention, with parts broken away and with parts in cross section;

FIG. 2 is a view in longitudinal cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in transverse cross section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in cross section taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view in perspective of part of the mechanical connection between the two reels of the holder; and

FIG. 6 is a somewhat schematic plan view on a reduced scale, of the chalk line holder of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, a chalk line holder 10 embodying the invention includes a two-part housing 12 comprising identical facing halves 14 and 16 held together by screws 18. Each of the housing halves 14 and 16 includes a reel recess or compartment 20 and a chalk recess or compartment 22 opening into the reel recess 20.

A main axle 24 extends centrally through the reel recesses 2t) and is rotatably held by the housing parts 14 and 16. Two identical chalk line reels 26 are independently rotatably mounted on the axle 24 with each reel being wound with a separate chalk line 28 terminating in a suitable ball or ring 30. The lines 28 extend through respective line passages 32 in the housing halves 14 and 16 and through end openings 34 in end caps 36 which are affixed to fiat end portions of the parts 14 and 16 by suitable fasteners such as screws 38. The lines 28 also pass through felt pads 40 located in recesses 42 at the ends of the housing halves 14 and 16, to wipe any excess chalk from the lines.

Referring more particularly to the mechanical connection between the two reels 26, the main axle 24 includes a central enlargement 44 forming spaced shoulders against which hubs 45 of the reels 26 hear. The main axle 24 also has two lock rings 46 located immediately outside the housing halves 14 and 16 to retain the axle 24 in its central position and also to prevent the possibility of the relatively thin walls of the housing parts 14 and 16 from spreading. The central enlargement 44 of the axle 24 has a threaded transverse passage 48 into which two stub axles 50 are threadedly received, with the axles 50 being perpendicular to the main axle 24 and extending in opposite directions therefrom. The stub axles 59 have slotted heads 52 which aid in fastening the stub axles to the main axle and also help to retain a pair of bevel pinion gears 54 which are free to rotate on the stub axles 50.

Each of the pinion gears meshes with bevel ring gears 56 which are preferably molded as parts of hubs 58 of the reels 26. The hubs have hub extensions 60 which abut the enlargement 44 to help maintain the reels 26 in the respective proper positions. The housing parts 14 and 16 are provided with inwardly extending bosses or shoulders 62 which back up and position the hub portions of the reels 26. Each of the reels 26 also has annular flanges 64 and 66 to receive the respective chalk line 28 on the reel hub.

Means for rotatably driving the reels 26 is located outside the housing 12 and is shown in the form of a hand-operated crank 68 which is pivotally received in a bifurcated end 70 of the main axle 24, being connected thereto by a pivot pin 72. In this manner, the crank can pivot in a plane parallel to the axle 24 but cannot rotate relative to the axle 24 in a plane perpendicular thereto. In the position shown in FIGS. 1-3, and in the solid lines in FIG. 6, the crank 63 can turn the axle 24. However, the axle can be locked against rotation relative to the housing. For this purpose, the crank 68 can be pivoted 180 relative to the axle in a plane parallel thereto and a handle portion 74 inserted in a housing recess 76 (FIG. 6).

While the chalk lines 28 are being wound onto and unwound from the reels 26, they are automatically coated by bodies 78 of chalk located in the recesses 22. The bodies 78 are held in holders 80 which are resiliently urged toward the reels 26 by springs 82 which are backed up by the end caps 36. The chalk bodies 78 are sufficiently wide to contact substantially all of the chalk lines between the reel flanges 64 and 66 and thereby effectively coat the lines. The chalk recesses 22 have cover plate 84 thereover, with the cover plates being contiguous with a divider plate 86 located between the two housing halves 14 and 16.

With the apparatus having been described in detail, the operation of the holder 10 will be discussed. With the handle 74 of the crank 68 inserted in the opening '76, the main axle 24 will be held in a fixed position with the stub axles 50 similarly held in a fixed position. If either of the reels 26 is now rotated, the pinion gears 54 will be driven and the other reel will rotate at the same speed but in the opposite direction. Hence, in this position, if one of the lines 28 is extended and has been snapped several times so that the chalk thereon is essentially dissi pated, the other of the lines 28 can be pulled out, being coated with chalk as it is unwound, to thereby immediately ready the second line for operation. During this movement, the first line is wound back onto the reel and again is automatically coated with chalk. Hence, the marking operation can be accomplished very rapidly with little time lost for rechalking the line. The only time lost is the time required to pull the new line from the housing.

If the handle 74 is now released from the opening 76 so that the crank 68 can rotate relative to the housing 12, an entirely different result will be achieved. In this instance, the bevel pinion gears 54 can rotate around the axis of the axle 24 so that either one of the reels 26 can be wound or unwound while the other remains stationary. For example, if the lines 28 are both wound on the reels 26, either one of the lines can be unwound from the reel without affecting the position of the other. As the one reel is rotated as its line is unwound, the pinion gears will simply rotate in the same direction and similarly move the crank 68 while the other reel stays stationary. If it is then desired to wind up the extended line, the crank 68 is simply turned in the appropriate direction with the reel having the line wound thereon remaining stationary while the other reel is rotated at twice the speed of the crank 68. In the event that both of the lines 28 are extended and it is desired to wind up both, the crank is again turned with each of the reels moving at a speed equal to the rate of rotation of the crank until the balls or rings 30 contact the associated end cap 36. In the event that one of the balls 30 of one of the lines 28 engages the end cap before the other, the associated reel 26 will simply stop rotating and the other reel will then continue at a rate equal to twice the rate of rotation of the crank.

Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, if they are within the spirit and the tenor of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A chalk line holder comprising a housing, a main axle rotatably carried by said housing, two chalk line reels independently rotatably mounted on said axle, each of said reels having a bevel ring gear facing the other of said reels, a pair of opposed stub axles centrally aflixed to said main axle between said reels and disposed perpendicularly to said main axle, a pair of bevel pinion gears rotatably mounted on said stub axles and meshing with both of said ring gears, a crank connected to said main axle and located outside said housing, means for selectively retaining said main axle in a fixed position relative to said housing and freeing said axle for rotation with respect to said housing, said housing having a line outlet passage for each of said reels and having a recess communicating with each of said reels, bodies of chalk in each of said recesses, and resilient means for urging said bodies of chalk toward said reels.

2. A chalk line holder comprising a housing, a main axle rotatably carried by said housing, two chalk line reels independently rotatably mounted on said axle, each of said reels having a bevel ring gear facing the other of said reels, a pair of opposed stub axles centrally affixed to said main axle between said reels and disposed perpendicularly to said main axle, a pair of bevel pinion gears rotatably mounted on said stub axles and meshing with both of said ring gears, a crank connected to said main axle and located outside said housing, and means for selectively retaining said main axle in a fixed position relative to said housing, and freeing said axle for rotation with respect to said housing.

3. A chalk line holder comprising a housing, a main axle rotatably carried by said housing, two chalk line reels independently rotatably mounted on said axle, each of said reels having a ring gear facing the other of said reels, a pair of opposed stub axles centrally afiixed to said main axle between said reels and disposed perpendicularly to said main axle, a pair of pinion gears rotatably mounted on said stub axles and meshing with said ring gears, means connected to said main axle outside said housing for driving said main axle, means for preventing rotation of said main axle, said housing having a line outlet passage for each of said reels and having a recess communicating with each of said reels, bodies of chalk in each of said recesses, and resilient means for urging said bodies of chalk toward said reels.

4. A chalk line holder comprising a housing, a main axle rotatably carried by said housing, two chalk line reels independently rotatably mounted on said axle, each of said reels having a ring gear facing the other of said reels, a pair of opposed stub axles centrally afiixed to said main axle between said reels and disposed perpendicularly to said main axle, a pair of pinion gears rotatably mounted on said stub axles and meshing with said ring gears, means connected to said main axle outside said housing for driving said main axle, and means for preventing rotation of said main axle.

5. A chalk line holder comprising a housing, a main axle rotatably carried by said housing, two chalk line reels rotatably mounted on said axle, a pair of opposed axles centrally affixed to said main axle between said reels and disposed perpendicularly to said main axle, means mounted on said stub axles and engaging said reels to enable said reels to rotate independently or dependently relative to one another, means connected to said main axle outside said housing for driving said main axle, and means for selectively preventing rotation of said main axle.

6. A chalk line holder comprising a housing, a main axle rotatably carried by said housing, two chalk line reels rotatably mounted on said axle, means carried by said main axle and engaging said reels to enable said reels to rotate independently or dependently relative to one another, means connected to said main axle outside said housing for driving said main axle, means for selectively preventing rotation of said main axle, said housing having a line outlet passage for each of said reels and having a recess associated with each of said reels, bodies of chalk in each of said recesses, and resilient means for urging said bodies of chalk toward said reels.

7. A chalk line holder comprising a housing comprising two substantially identical parts with fasteners connecting the two parts together, said parts forming a central reel chamber, a chalk chamber at each end of said housing communicating with said reel chamber, and a chalk line passage terminating at each end of said housing and communicating with said reel chamber, an axle extending transversely through said housing and located centrally of said reel chamber, a pair of substantially identical reels located in said reel chamber and independently rotatably mounted on said axle, means mechanically connecting said reels, a chalk body in each of said chalk chambers, means urging said chalk bodies toward said reels, and means closing oif the ends of said chalk chambers. and. re-

inovably attached to said housing whereby said closing means can be separated from said housing and said chalk bodies can be removed without separating said housing parts.

8. A chalk line holder comprising a housing comprising two substantially identical parts with fasteners connecting the two parts together, said parts forming a central reel chamber, a chalk chamber at each end of said housing communicating with said reel chamber, and a chalk line passage terminating at each end of said housing and communicating with said reel chamber, an axle extending 10 transversely through said housing and located centrally of said reel chamber, a pair of substantially identical reels located in said reel chamber and independently rotatably mounted on said axle, a chalk body in each of said chalk chambers, means urging said chalk bodies: toward said reels, and end caps closing 01f the ends of said chalk chambers and removably attached to said housing whereby said end caps can be separated from said housing and said chalk bodies can be removed without separating said housing parts.

No references cited.

ISAAC LISANN, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CHALK LINE HOLDER COMPRISING A HOUSING, A MAIN AXLE ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID HOUSING, TWO CHALK LINE REELS INDEPENDENTLY ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID AXLE, EACH OF SAID REELS HAVING A BEVEL RING GEAR FACING THE OTHER OF SAID REELS, A PAIR OF OPPOSED STUB AXLES CENTRALLY AFFIXED TO SAID MAIN AXLE BETWEEN SAID REELS AND DISPOSED PERPENDICULARLY TO SAID MAIN AXLE, A PAIR OF BEVEL PINION GEARS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STUB AXLES AND MESHING WITH BOTH OF SAID RING GEARS, A CRANK CONNECTED TO SAID MAIN AXLE AND LOCATED OUTSIDE SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY RETAINING SAID MAIN AXLE IN A FIXED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID HOUSING AND FREEING SAID AXLE FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID HOUSING, SAID HOUSING HAVING A LINE OUTLET PASSAGE FOR EACH OF SAID REELS AND HAVING A RECESS COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OF SAID REELS, BODIES OF CHALK IN EACH OF SAID RECESSES, AND RESILIENT MEANS FOR URGING SAID BODIES OF CHALK TOWARD SAID REELS. 